The increasing incidence of blood borne pathogens such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), combined with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), presents healthcare workers with an occupational hazard unprecedented in modern medicine. The risk of contracting HIV from a needle stick injury is approximately 1 in 100, but for those who contract HIV infection as a result of a needle stick injury the risk becomes 1 in 1. The risk of contracting the more contagious HBV as a result of a needle stick injury ranges from 1 in 6 to 1 in 20.
There are some other known blood borne pathogens which are transmitted via blood and bodily fluids. The presence of any of these pathogens in patients poses a risk to healthcare workers when invasive procedures are performed. Infectious diseases are now the third leading cause of death, behind heart disease and cancer, while ten years ago this was ranked fifth, signifying a growing need for safer medical devices.
As the population of infected individuals increases, more people will be treated by healthcare workers, which imposes further risks of disease transmission from patients to healthcare workers. Also, the use of disposable medical devices is increasing at approximately 10% per annum. Additionally, a remarkable number of patient to patient transmissions in the healthcare setting have been identified throughout the world. Early data suggests improper infection control techniques contribute directly to this increase: including improper use of medical devices having needles, multiple-dose medicine vials, and failure to change protective gloves and gear for each new patient.
Healthcare workers are increasingly at risk of disease transmission, and nurses perform the majority of invasive hypodermic procedures, such as injecting medicine, collecting blood and inserting indwelling intravenous (I.V.) catheters. Nurses and other healthcare personnel are routinely injured by the exposed, sharp lancet of the needle after use on a patient. The critical time where a percutaneous injury can occur is from the moment the needle is withdrawn from the patient, or I.V. port, to the time the contaminated needle is safely discarded.
Prior to the proliferation of HIV and serum hepatitis, a needle stick injury was considered a routine part of providing patient care. A needle stick injury now carries a life-threatening consequence and healthcare workers must live with this terror on a daily basis.